What is Public Relations?

The Canadian Public Relations Society (https://www.cprs.ca) defines Public Relations as: “the strategic management of relationships between an organization and its diverse publics, through the use of communication, to achieve mutual understanding, realize organizational goals and serve the public interest.” (Flynn, Gregory & Valin, 2008)

You are trying to persuade an audience to promote your idea, support your position, or purchase your product or service.

Toastmasters International says: “Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their public” https://www.toastmasters.org/leadership-central/club-officer-tools/club-officer-roles/public-relations

Public Relations people are storytellers. You are creating a narrative to expand awareness of Toastmasters to attract and retain members.

How is Public Relations different from advertising?

With advertising, you tell people how great you are. In Public Relations, you convince others to praise your product.

Advertising is paid media. When you pay for advertising, you are guaranteed product placement. You build exposure, but the audience is skeptical. Your message is: “buy this product”.
Public Relations is earned media. You persuade. You build trust. You receive third party validation. Your message is “this is important”.

A study by Nielsen commissioned by inPowered (https://inpowered.ai/blog) on the role of content creation in the consumer decision-making process found that Public Relations was by far more effective in the long run than advertising.

The research noted that honesty and unbiased nature of content is very important for consumers. For example:

• 85% of consumers seek out trusted expert content – trustworthy, third-party articles and reviews – when considering a purchase.
• 69% of consumers like to read product reviews written by trusted experts before making a purchase.
• 67% of consumers said that an endorsement from an unbiased expert made them more likely to consider purchasing.

What does that mean for toastmaster’s clubs?

inPowered recommendations for its clients can also apply to Toastmaster Club PR Strategies:

• Begin by building brand trust. There is a lot of competition for audience attention. Use trusted content from credible experts, such as the content available from Toastmasters International, to build confidence with your non-Toastmasters audience.
• Share your story: use members testimonials to further connect with your audience.
• Repeatedly reinforce and stay on message. Use branded content, have members share their testimonials, and encourage guests to connect and follow your social media platforms.

Honesty and unbiased nature of content is very important for consumers. A well-planned Public Relations strategy is a powerful and free tool for Toastmasters clubs. Unlike paid advertising, a well-planned Public Relations approach will earn your club more trustworthiness with your non-Toastmasters audience than any expensive ad ever would.

Created by Nancy Movrin DTM Public Relations Manager 2021 – 2022